Glenn Poch's Bottle Collecting Newsletter 8

Oct/Nov 1995
Newsletter #8
I have decided to move from a monthly to a 6/yr format - putting out the
newsletter every other month.
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BOTTLE HOME PAGE'S ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB!
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Many of you may know already but I just discovered last month a home page
devoted to bottle collecting - based in Canada. The site contains much
information on soda bottle collecting (1930-1950's) but also welcomes all
aspects of the hobby to further educational growth. I intend to add a
section on bitter bottles to the page, currently there is a write up on
cures, insulators, and a online auction listing from CB&SC Auctions based
out of Canada. The address to find this great site is:
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http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~mhall/
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I hope everyone will get a chance to browse through this exciting home
page - I'm glad to see others participating in the hobby!
The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors is also available through
the site in Canada or direct with the address of:
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http://www.av.qnet.com/~glassmann/index.htm
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it contains much information on the goal's of the federation. Also
included is extracted information from the Magazine that the Federation
puts out Bottles and Extra, other collectors E-mail addresses, feature
articles, and soon will contain dynamite graphics of bottle pictures.
Check this site out!
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The Chicago Bottle Show held on Oct 29 was a good show,
we had a number of people attend this dual show for bottles and
insulators - the second half of the display on Bottles and Glass from
Northern Il and Chicago was proudly shown. Bottles and glass from all
lines of collectables were for sale. Some highlighted bottles at this
show for sale were: a collection of 3 figural skull poisions (1 large 2
small all mint), a green Bitters Barrel (Wigwam tonic), and a borden's milk
bottle in ruby red (only a handfull known - they were made in the 50's
as a test bottle)! A great hospitality room with great company made the
show even better, come and visit our ever growing Illinois bottle shows
in May and October!
Ruby Red bottle's - (what's the deal?)
Every now and then I come across a bottle at a show or antique show that
is pure red in color (not a flashed glass like many souvenier glasses or
vases) but a pure red glass. These bottles while not extremely rare are
somewhat unique as there are relativily few numbers of bottle shapes and
styles that are made in this eye catching color. Anchor Hocking was one
of the primary glass companies that put out these bottles - for schlitz
beer, the cost of producing these bottles were much to high for the
process to continue (it required expensive elements to be added to the
molten glass (including remote traces of gold in some cases)) some of the
bottles never made it out of the manufacturing process since they were
test bottles. Other brands like schlitz were made in relativly high
numbers and still can be found quite resonabilily priced for around $20.
These bottles are alwalys sought after because of their great color -
there are at least four bottles that were made in ruby red color probably
more!
A number of insulator collectors have joined this newsletter - I welcome
them here and hope they can contribute with helpful knowledge and
articles, I for one could not tell a good insulator from a bad one - I do
know however that threadless insulators tend to be very good!
Cup plates (how are these little bugger's related to the hobby?)
A side collection of mine is whats know as cup plates - what are they?
well cup plates were made between 1825-1870 they were used in formal
dining which encompassed a large number of setting pieces one of which
were cup plates, when drinking the tea was poured from a teapot into a
cup which sat on a saucer - the tea was very hot and to cool it faster
the person drinking the tea would pour the hot drink into the deep
concave saucer and rest the cup on the CUP PLATE - the liquid in the
saucer by now was starting to cool and the person could pick up the
saucer and slurp up the tea from it. While this may not have been the
most ettiquite of manners it was standard practice back then! However
lucky for us that they did because they left behind some wonderful pieces
of early glass. Cup plates are between 2 1/2" - 3 1/3" wide in a circle,
any larger are toddy plates (another place setting reserved for placing
the stiring spoon on) - they were made of glass 95% of them clear - with
colored examples being rare in all colors including, blue, green, amber,
and some unusalities. Most had scallops on the rim and had a lacy
pattern or hearts while others had american eagles (very similar to
eagles on early American flasks) or historical busts of Henry Clay,
George Washington, Queen Victoria: Log cabin designs, Bunker Hill
Monument, Ships and Vessels. The earliest cup plates were pontil and
only about 7 or 8 plate styles are known to be pontiled. Cup plates are
reproduced today and most all of the ones seen in antique shops turn out
to be fake although sometimes you can stumble upon a real one. To tell
the real from fake examples you can hold the plate in the middle between
two fingers and hit the plate with your fingernail or pen/penicl (not too
hard) - if it rings like a bell its made of crystal the real thing - if
it thuds its not real, also look at the scallops on the plate there will
almost alwalys be some knicking and broken scallops on real examples from
use (these unless major do not detract from the value). Cup plates
range in price from $5-10 for common examples to $35-55 for rare examples
and $50-1000 for colored examples.
The reader is reffered to American Glass Cup Plates by Ruth Lee Webb -
which lists almost all of the patterns pictured with rarity.
These little plates are a great part of American History!
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Wanted: Glass and Stoneware Pig bottles, Figural Bitters, early scent and
perfume bottles, Cup Plates (historical or colored). pochg@phk.nslsilus.org
For Sale: Zingari Bitter's (open bubble) lady's leg $135
Hi Hi Bitters triangle shape amber - $150
Posion bottle 4" Posion:Posion rect, very light honey amb. $55-
Doyles Hop Bitters -semi-cabin form $25
Dyottsville early bottom embossed bottle $20 - stained
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--------Glenn